Feature Stories

Aart de Geus Inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Council (SVEC) Hall of Fame

When the Silicon Valley Engineering Council (SVEC) formed in 1989, the founders chose a silicon wafer with several integrated chips to represent its organization. This image continues to illustrate SVEC's dedication to honoring innovation and technological excellence each year.

This year, SVEC inducted Synopsys Chairman and Co-CEO Dr. Aart de Geus into its Engineering Hall of Fame at its annual Engineers Week Banquet, held in San Jose, Calif., on February 19, 2013. The SVEC honored Dr. de Geus as a visionary and leader in the electronic design automation industry and in the community.

Now in its 24th year, the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame aims to celebrate the accomplishments of engineers and technical leaders in Silicon Valley who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and have made significant contributions to the local community. Dr. de Geus was one of four eminent technologists, including two each from industry and academia, inducted this year. The other 2013 Engineering Hall of Fame inductees were Dr. David K. Lam, founder of Lam Research and current chairman of Multibeam Corporation and the David Lam Group; Dr. Martin Hellman, professor emeritus of electrical engineering, Stanford University; and Dr. David Hodges, professor emeritus, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. de Geus joins an elite group of past inductees including Intel co-founders Robert N. Noyce and Gordon E. Moore, as well as HP co-founders William R. Hewlett and David Packard. Engineering Hall of Fame inductees are selected based on their professional achievement, service to the profession and service to the community. While some have since gone on to become household names, all are distinguished by their outstanding engineering and leadership accomplishments.

Dr. de Geus helped drive Synopsys' growth from a start-up synthesis enterprise with one product to a diverse, global company that leads the EDA industry in advanced technology and revenue. He is also heavily involved in education for the next generation, having created the Synopsys Outreach Foundation in 1999, which promotes project-based science and math learning throughout Silicon Valley.

Dr. de Geus looks at everything through the "N+1" filter: how can you move something of value to the next level? This way of thinking is the foundation of innovation, and Dr. de Geus has used this orientation to ask, and answer, important questions in technology, business and community programs.

Synopsys congratulates Dr. de Geus on receiving this honor and thanks him for leading by example and sharing his passion for innovation and learning.